labor of love

Wow. I got a package in the mail yesterday from my dear friend Jamaica. And inside it was this quilt for Bowie. That she made. I was so surprised that I started to cry. If you've read here awhile, you'll remember Jamaica from our various travel adventures (from L.A. to N.Y.C.) She's a Dares girl. A talented paper crafter. Graphic designer. And she sews like no one I've ever seen sew before. She's also a good friend, because this was obviously a lot of work.

The colors are crazy good, but that quilting?! I could look at it all day and I just might. Even the binding and backing is perfection. (It's like graph paper ... something that both J and I would totally dork out over. Graph paper fabric? Gah!)

She also sent us this adorable little fox onesie, which has a funny story behind it. It's from Gnome Enterprises, hand-printed in Brooklyn, which is where my friend Leslie works. Leslie moved from Iowa to NYC last year (about the same time that Jamaica and I went to Brooklyn for a visit.) So without knowing it, my California friend bought this t-shirt made by my Iowa friend in NYC and sent it to me. In Iowa. It's a small world, friends.

Anyway ... Dear Jamaica: Please know that every perfectly stitched square inch of this quilt will be put to good use. It will be a permanent fixture in this little room. It's where Bowie will kick up his legs and practice rolling over. It will be used to make forts and tents and hideouts. It's where he'll stay warm when he's running a fever and watching cartoons on a sick day. It will be the go-to quilt when both of my kids snuggle up to watch a movie.

It will be a source of comfort. (It already is.) And I can't wait to tell Bowie the story of this quilt someday; where it came from and how special it is. I'll tell him about the trip we took to NYC together when I was pregnant with him, and how we spent the whole weekend trying to think of baby names and taking pictures of me standing next to buildings with cobras painted on them.

Thank you so very much, my friend. Blankets wrap you in warmth ... but quilts wrap you in love.

Holy wow. That quilt is beyond amazing...Jamaica's attention to detail makes my brain squirm! :) What a wonderful gift, so much care obviously went into it, I know Bowie will cherish it. Congrats on the little guy, btw. He's a cutie!

Your son and my baby are so close in age -- Brett was born on the 24th. I love reading your blog. We have received a super awesome quilt made by a friend too... Definately my favorite baby gift to date! Will you share how much Bowie weighs? He looks about the same as my big guy ( 15 lbs exactly on his 3 month birthday!!).

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HEY! I'M JEN. HEYJENRENEE IS A BLOG ABOUT CRAFTING, KNITTING AND MUSIC. SOMETIMES IT'S ABOUT SCOOTERS & SKATEBOARDING WITH A LITTLE BIT OF THE MOM THING THROWN IN. BECAUSE THAT'S MY LIFE. NEW READER? START HERE.